Your website is your business’ calling card. It’s often the first introduction to your brand people get. It goes without saying then that it should represent your brand in style, design and content focus.
It’s the first impression you never get a second chance to make.
So the importance of good website design is not overstated. In fact, the numbers back it up. These five statistics help prove the point:
“88% of online visitors/consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience.”
(source: The Gomez report, Why Web Performance Matters)
User experience is everything in web design. How your website is laid out, organized and performs impacts that first impression greatly. Make sure your visitors get a good experience by being attentive to the need for quick loading speeds, scannable content grouped into logical buckets or sections, prominent menu placement and working links.
“A study found that first impressions are 94% design-related”
(Source: The Effect of Aesthetics on Web Credibility, Fara Alsudani & Matthew Casey)
It’s a fact that credibility is attributed first to appearance. The same study above found that 46% of consumers base their decisions on the credibility of a website from its visual appeal & aesthetics.
Your website’s design aesthetic has a direct impact on the level of perceived credibility your business enjoys. That first impression doesn’t restrict itself to your great reviews and mastery of the English language. If your website is not aesthetically appealing, you lose legitimacy. It’s that simple. Perhaps the implication is your business is not successful and cannot afford a higher-end design team. Perhaps its simply that you didn’t place enough importance on design aesthetic because it’s not important to you. Whatever the reason, aesthetics correlate to credibility. So don’t skimp on design.
“44% of website visitors will leave a company’s website if there is no contact information or phone number.”
(Source: KoMarketing)
Some of the mainstays of website design matter the most. You might think it’s too cookie-cutter but its also common sense. Posting a prominent phone number (preferably linkable for mobile viewers) and contact details makes it easy for customers to convert when they want to. Making them search for buried contact details (or worse not posting contact details at all) can frustrate them and send them packing at the exact moment they are ready to reach out to you. Make it easy on yourself by making it easy for them to contact you.
If you would like to work with Proctor Digital strategists to develop a beautiful, stylish and effective website design for your business, call us at 773.664.5819. We’d love to help!